This invention is related to hybrid and combination imaging systems having beam splitters.
Hybrid and combination imaging systems are designed to capture an image of a scene using more than one image capture system. This can be done for a variety of purposes. Often hybrid and combination imaging systems are used to capture images of the same scene using different types of image capture systems.
Such hybrid cameras often use a single taking lens system to collect and focus light from the scene. In such cameras, a beam splitter is used to deliver the same scene image from the taking lens system to separate imaging surfaces in the hybrid or combination camera. The use of beam splitters in cameras having more than one imaging surface has also been known since at least the inception of the xe2x80x9cTechnicolorxe2x80x9d image separation technique for silver halide color image capture in the early-20th century. In the xe2x80x9cTechnicolorxe2x80x9d technique, beam splitters are employed in conjunction with color filters to enable simultaneous capture of color separation images on monochrome film stock. More recently, beam splitters have been proposed for color separation image capture in digital cameras using color filters and monochrome solid state image capture devices.
Other examples of hybrid and combination camera systems that use beam splitters include JP Pat. Pub. No. 10142685A entitled xe2x80x9cSilver Salt Photographic and Electronic Image Pickup Cameraxe2x80x9d filed by Atsushi on Nov. 11, 1996 and J.P. Pat. Pub. No. 11231372, entitled xe2x80x9cCamera Provided With Preview Functionxe2x80x9d filed by Toru on Feb. 17, 1998 each describe hybrid film/electronic image capture systems having a main taking lens system with a beam splitter that deflects a portion of the light traveling through the taking lens system onto an electronic image capture surface and permits another portion of the light passing through the beam splitter to strike a photosensitive film. Beam splitters have also found other uses in hybrid cameras. For example, the Kodak Advantix(trademark) Preview(trademark) camera sold by Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. uses a beam splitter to divide light between one path leading to an optical viewfinder system and another path leading to an electronic imager.
One drawback of the use of such beam splitting systems is that sharing the light captured by a taking lens system to form images at different imaging surfaces inherently reduces the amount of light available at each imaging surface during the time allotted for image capture. This, in turn, reduces the effective sensitivity of each image capture system. In certain applications, the reduction of effective sensitivity may not be preferred.
Thus, there remains a need for image capture systems capable of simultaneous image capture using more than one image capture system without a substantial reduction in the effective sensitivity of each system.
Further there is a need for image capture systems having a reduced dependence upon post capture processing of the electronic image. Such post image capture processing is typically performed because the electronic image is often presented on a display screen that has substantially lower image display resolution than the image capture resolution of the imager used to capture the electronic image. Thus the electronic image must typically be downsampled so that it can be presented on the lower resolution display. Such processing can be time consuming which can delay the presentation of the evaluation image and/or the capture of additional images.
More particularly, there is a need for image capture systems and methods that permit simultaneous capture of images using an imaging system that captures archival images on a photosensitive element and an imaging system that captures images using a solid state imaging surface and generates evaluation images therefrom.
In one aspect, an imaging system is provided. The imaging system has a taking lens unit adapted to focus light from a scene, and a beam splitter receiving light from the scene with a portion of the received light traveling from the beam splitter to a first imaging surface and a portion of the received light traveling from the beam splitter to a second imaging surface. A first image capture system is provided for capturing an image based upon the light traveling to the first imaging surface, and a second image capture system is provided for capturing a second image based upon the image formed at the second imaging surface. An array of micro-lenses is in optical association with the first imaging surface, with each micro-lens in the array concentrating a first fraction of the light from the beam splitter onto concentrated image areas of the first imaging surface. Wherein the first image capture system forms an image based upon the light concentrated onto the concentrated image areas.
In another aspect, an image capture system is provided. The imaging system has a taking lens unit adapted to focus light toward a beam splitter and a beam splitter receiving light from the taking lens unit and passing a portion of light to form an image at a first imaging surface and a portion of the light to form an image at a second imaging surface. A photosensitive element image capture system having a shutter assembly controls the passage of light to at least one imaging surface and a photosensitive element positioning system having a gate positioning a photosensitive element having the first imaging surface thereon to receive light controlled by the shutter assembly. An electronic image capture system is provided having an image sensor with the second imaging surface thereon said electronic image capture system is adapted to capture an image based upon the light incident on the second image surface and a micro-lens array in optical association with the second imaging surface imaging plane concentrating light directed at concentrated image areas of the second imaging surface. A controller determines a capture time and enables the shutter assembly and electronic image capture system to capture an image representative of scene conditions during the capture time.
In another aspect, an imaging system is provided. The imaging systems has a taking lens unit adapted to focus light from a scene and an image capture system for capturing an image based upon the light traveling to an imaging surface. A stacked array magnifier is positioned to alter the effective magnification of the light traveling to the imaging surface. An array of micro-lenses in optical association with the imaging surface, with each micro-lens in the array concentrating a first fraction of the light onto concentrated image areas of the imaging surface. Wherein the image capture system forms an image based upon the light concentrated onto the concentrated image areas.
In still another aspect, a method for capturing an image of a scene using a first imaging surface having a first sensitivity and a second imaging surface having a second sensitivity is provided. In accordance with the method, light from the scene is focused and the focused light from the scene is divided into a first portion traveling to a first imaging surface and a second portion traveling to a second imaging surface. A fraction of the light traveling along the first axis is concentrated to form a pattern of concentrated image elements on the first imaging surface. A first image is formed based upon the pattern of concentrated image elements formed on the first imaging surface. A second image is formed based upon the light reaching the second imaging surface.